


Intertwine: Kuroshitsuji

by YourIdiotWriter



Category: Kuroshitsuji
Genre: Canon - Manga, Ciel Gets Annoyed, Complete, Deus Ex Machina, Dimension Travel, Major Original Character(s), Manga Spoilers, POV Original Character, Probably Sebastian Too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-08-14
Packaged: 2018-02-07 20:44:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1913211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourIdiotWriter/pseuds/YourIdiotWriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The balance of the worlds are at risk and Alaine ends up responsible for this one. Just another day at work, really.</p><p>"Where a child is in the company of a black demon; where the darkness of old England may consume thee; the path to the Key is through a mansion; take thyself to the world of Kuroshitsuji."</p><p>No romance, just story-telling. Primarily takes place during school arc.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sequence One

**Author's Note:**

> Follows the manga, started back when Ciel was enrolled in the school and works around that arc. Written for my own entertainment purposes, so it isn't the most thought-out thing in the world and I have no shame in using deus ex machina in this fic, so if you're looking for something proof-read with heavy plot, this ain't the thing. If you're just looking for a way to kill time, though, then yeah this works probably :D
> 
> Seriously, I don't even think I proofread this shit. Enjoy!

**PROLOGUE**

     This is the world we call Reality. In Reality, the power to create and imagine worlds exists within all of its citizens. In Reality, imagination is power. Imagination is what brings life to other beings; shaped and developed by our minds. These worlds created by the minds of others are all linked to Reality. They are their own world, but they are delicate. With one thought, the entire form of a linked world could shatter.

     It is us who controls what goes on in the worlds we imagine and as such, those of the linked worlds are our puppets. We are their God, and they are our creations. Without us, they could not Be.

     The balance of these forged worlds normally remains constant, for the creators do not wish for their worlds to crumble. Every so often, however, there will be a slight falter in this balance. This occurs when a Creator obstructs their world with inconsistent thoughts. Perhaps they cannot decide what is Truth in that world and what is not. Perhaps something has damaged the Creator and they cannot maintain their world for a period of time. There are also times when the reason is unclear, but the reason does not matter. No matter what the reason, if the balance is obstructed, He takes notice and acts.

     He is the being that watches over Reality. He is not God. He simply Is. The one who oversees Reality and the worlds within Reality is Him, and only few know of Him and the functions of the linked worlds. For some of us, our consciousness is linked to His since our birth, though He will only contact us when our mind has matured enough.

     His children, as they are called, aid him with the tasks of stabilizing the worlds when need be. Worlds are ever-growing in Reality, so His children are plentiful, and each helps him monitor the various categories of the worlds. These worlds are divided into categories such as Novels, Television, Graphic Novels, Animations, and so on. I monitor a sub-category of Graphic Novels that is commonly known as Manga.

     Often, the Animation form of Graphic Novels, or vice versa, is linked, as they come from the same source. Many a time, the form of the world is different, so while the beings of both worlds are nearly carbon copies, they are still different worlds with different happenings. The children who monitor such worlds are responsible for keeping track with both outcomes. The Animation equivalent of Manga is Anime, so I monitor the worlds of both subsections. However, when He requests aid regarding the worlds, I work only with the worlds of Manga.

     Aside from this extra task, the children are normal humans of Reality. We have families and friends, an education, shelter, so on and so forth. We are children until we are too weak to work, but when that happens, we are simply not longer called. It is for our own good, and we are thankful that He understands that as humans, we are limited to what we can do.

     In Reality, I am sixteen years old. I have no particular talents, perhaps other than above average musical knowledge, and live in a family of five; my mother, my father, my grandmother, and my older brother. None of them are children, but the fact that I am changes nothing. When we are called to aid Him, time ceases to exist in Reality, and Reality becomes a part of Nothingness until all is well.

     At this moment, Reality is a part of Nothingness. The balances of the worlds are faltering for a reason that I have no intention of knowing. My sole purpose now is to aid Him in restoring such balance.

     I suppose the fact that you are still hear means that you wish to accompany on my journey, Reader, though whether or not it be eventful to you is something I have no control over.

* * *

**SEQUENCE: BEGIN**

     “The balance of the worlds are in danger.” His voice called out to me from the emptiness. “They will crumble into Nothingness if the wounds are not mended.”

     I stood as His voice echoed around me. Time was absent in the realm that I was in, and I was currently a newborn. I waited until I was brought to a state where I could speak, which happened to be middle-aged. “I’m guessing you want me to help you fix it?” The time it took for my words to reach Him, and then for his response to reach me was two lifetimes. He responded when I was a child again.

“That is correct. I apologize for giving you such a burden, but you have a physical form while I do not.”

“I’ve done more exhausting things for you already. Travelling through the worlds is not so much of a hassle. What is it this time?’ I got a response when I reached my mid-teens.

“Each world has a Key. Each Key is needed in order to lock the worlds back in place. I wish for you to obtain these Keys so that I may stop the worlds from collapsing.”

My hand grew twice as large as my face while my legs started to blend into one-another. My face was pulled in all sorts of directions. There is no sense of space or boundaries in here, either. This is Nothingness, after all.

When I found that I could control my mouth once more, I gave Him my response. “That sounds simple enough. Where do I start?”

“Where a child is in the company of a black demon; where the darkness of old England may consume thee; the path to the Key is through a mansion; take thyself to the world of Kuroshitsuji.”

I close my eyes and feel Nothingness around me, but I know that what is around me changes. Soon, I hear a number of voices around me. I hear carriages and horses; vendors and customers; parents and children. I open my eyes and see that the ground beneath me is cobblestone. The people around me wear neat clothing, but with dull colours.

The carriage of a nobleman caches my eye and I feel a pulse within me as it goes by. That’s one of the few hints that I’ll be getting during this quest, so I react to it immediately and begin following the carriage.

I seem to blend in well with the others, since nobody takes much notice to me as I follow the carriage down the road.

As it leaves the town and enters a more secluded route, I find myself slammed against a tree in a split second. My breath hitches from the sudden impact and I lock eyes with a grotesque creature before me. Information immediately flows into my mind as I identify the being before me.

Sebastian Michaelis, butler of the Phantomhive Household. Contracted demon of Ciel Phantomhive, affiliated by the Faustian Contract. Male. Demon. 6”1. Debuted in volume one, chapter one. He is one hell of a butler.

“And what business to you have, following the carriage of the young master?” He asks, his voice smooth and unfitting of his current image.

“Ah, the black demon. That was a lot easier than I expected.” I murmured, content with finding the plot so soon after my arrival. I assume that He would have dropped me off nearby anyway so that time wasn’t wasted wandering about.

His eyes narrow, most likely questioning my choice of words. The beings of this world don’t know about Reality after all, but my words would do no harm, so long as I don’t tell them that their world is a figment of another person’s imagination. “What a rude little girl, calling me a demon.” A smile spreads across his lips, but it’s far from welcoming. I offer a faint smile in return.

“Sorry. My eyes haven’t adjusted to this world yet. Just give me a moment and I’ll no longer see a grotesque demon, but a handsome young butler instead.” He says nothing as I close my eyes and reopen them to see the Sebastian that Reality is most familiar with. He wears his signature tailcoat and white gloves. A single black lock of hair settles between his eyes. “I’d appreciate it if you’d let me go. My physique isn’t all-too impressive. Well, I suppose I’d be strong enough to pummel a child of Ciel’s stature, but that’s not what’s written in my agenda so there’s really no need to worry.”

“It would be more reassuring if you didn’t say such things, or I may have to end your life here.” He does not let go of me, nor does he seem any less wary of me.

I sigh and let my eyes droop for a moment before catching his gaze once more. “Unfortunately, my death with be correlated with yours, as well as Ciel’s death, as well as all the other beings of your world. Personally, I’m not sure if I can deal with a kid like him, but I’m afraid it’s my job, much like it is yours.” My expression is calm, yet somewhat amused.

He seems a little exasperated, which I refrain from smiling at. Finally, he loosens his hold on me, but continues hold me by the shoulder. “It appears that you have some sort of important business with the young master, but I advise you not to act recklessly. I obey all orders given by the young master, after all.”

“Oh, I’m well aware of that. In a household with a sniper, a war veteran, and a young boy with inhuman strength, I’d rather not step out of line. Ah, I should be cautious around Mr. Tanaka as well.” I smile, now looking up at the demon by my side as we walk towards the mansion. He gives me a curious stare. Subtle, but curious. “Don’t worry about what I know. My intentions lie for the greater good for this world, and the Phantomhive Household plays a large role here. If my actions disrupted the balance that has already begun to falter, my own master wouldn’t be very happy.”

Sebastian seemed to accept this for now and it wasn’t long before I reached the grand entrance of the mansion. He stepped forward and opened the door for me, to which I thanked him for. I was guided in and was immediately greeted by the cold glare of the young Earl Phantomhive.

“You never told me I had an appointment today, Sebastian, and with a stranger no less. Who is this girl?”

This was a cue to introduce myself, so I began to filter out names until I found one that fit this kind of era. It had to be at least somewhat elegant. It didn’t appear although I was of another ethnicity; I seemed Caucasian enough. A few seconds passed until I nodded my head just slightly as I introduced myself. “My name is Alaine. Pardon my intrusion.”

“My sincerest apologies, young master. It appears although Lady Alaine has some business here at the Phantomhive Household, and she has travelled a great distance in order to get here. As the master of this mansion, you should welcome her, should you not?” The butler spoke gracefully and Ciel clicked his tongue slightly, but looked back at me nonetheless.

He seemed to size me up with those dark eyes of his and as he did so, I gave him a rundown as well.

Ciel Phantomhive. Son of Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive. Human. Birthday; December 14th, 1875. Ah, that’s right. This is old England that I’m in. Age twelve, thirteen at most. Male. 5”0. Earl of Phantomhive and watchdog of the Queen. Debuted volume one, chapter one.

Finally, a small sigh escaped his lips and his nodded once. “Very well then. Please guide our guest to the dining hall.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.” I responded with a sweet smile, similar to the one Ciel is so used to faking.

I was seated in one of the extravagant chairs and immediately afterwards, Sebastian was already pouring tea for the two of us. Once everything was set, Ciel got down the business in a way that felt a little hostile, but with good reason. I’d be suspicious if I were in his position as well, after all.

“Would you care to explain the business that you have with me?” He asked while calmly taking a sip of tea.

“The entirety of my task doesn’t specifically concern you, but everybody in this world. The process that I’ll apparently have to take in order to fulfill this task is what concerns you, however. I believe that I’ll need your help in finding whatever it is I’m looking for.” I started while keeping eye-contact with the young Earl. He seemed curious about my words, but I didn’t elaborate any further. I would tell only the necessities and see how much more detail he wanted after I was done. “Before you decide anything, I’d like for you to know that my eyes see Truth. As such, I know what you hide behind your eye patch. I also know what you hide on your back, as well as whom, or should I say what, Sebastian Michaelis really is.”

I immediately felt the tension rise and Ciel’s eye narrowed at me. With a nearly inaudible cling, he set his teacup back into the saucer and stared down at it for a brief moment before finally responding. “How can you prove that you won’t use Truth against me?” I was relieved that he at least decided to go along with this story for now.

My lips curl into a reassuring smile. “It may sound a little arrogant, but the state of this world rests in my hands. That’s my purpose for being here, right now, of all times. If I were to use my knowledge to break you and your household, don’t you think that would be counterproductive?” I asked rhetorically before continuing.

“My job is to meddle with the affairs of this world as little as possible while accomplishing my goal. I have very few leads to work with, and this household is an important part of this world. You could say that you and Sebastian are the centre of this world, so any unnecessary harm inflicted upon you and anybody else around you would be useless. In fact, it would be something that I’d like to avoid completely, since it would make my job a lot more difficult.”

Silence returned once more. He took another sip of his tea and set it down before speaking. “I have a final question regarding this matter.” He stated while looking up at me with eyes full of doubt. “How do you expect me to believe this story?”

A faint laugh escapes my lips and I glanced towards Sebastian, who has been standing in silence and observing all this time. “The world of demons and Death Gods exist. Why not believe that I come from another world, seeking something from yours?”

“Very well then,” Ciel murmured as Sebastian refilled his cup. At least, he tried to, but the tea seemed to waver and the teacup faltered, causing a small puddle of tea to spill onto the tablecloth. “Sebastian, what do you think you’re doing?” The young Earl demanded, but wore an expression of confusion when he saw that Sebastian had a rather uncommon, puzzled expression.

“Aha.” I mused with a faint grin, catching their attention. “Well, there’s some solid proof. I said that your world was faltering, and surely this world is collapsing when your flawless butler makes such a mistake, don’t you agree?”

They remained silent for a moment, as if trying to understand what had happened. My expression became more serious as Sebastian was already cleaning up the mess, pulling out the tablecloth with ease so that it could be cleaned and replaced.

“If you chase me out now, it won’t just be a mere spill. Sense of time and space will gradually cease to exist, and it’s my job to prevent that. So, what do you say to that, Earl Phantomhive?”

There didn’t seem to be any more need for proof. He seemed to comply and rested his elbows on the table as he spoke. “How do you expect to carry out your task?”

“I’ll be a sort of shadow to you. The events that occur around you are my best chances at finding a lead on what the thing I’m looking for is.”

“You don’t even know what you’re looking for?” He seems irritated, but I smile.

“I just don’t know what form it’s in. I was pointed to this direction by Him, however, so I’m afraid I’ll have to intrude until I’m brought to it.”

His irritation seems to grow, as does my smile. I’m reminded that he can be rather cut, and I find amused by the childish attitude he conceals with maturity. Maybe I can have just a little bit of fun while I’m here.

“If you want to stay here, then you’ll have to work.” He states with a slight furrow of his brows.

“I figured things would turn out that way.” I sighed with a slight shrug. “Unfortunately, I’m incredibly unqualified to be a servant of the Phantomhive Household. I know minimal self defence and have never held a gun. I don’t know how to cook, nor do I excel in academics.”

“You seem to be rather helpless for a person who apparently has such an important task.” Ciel comments with an unimpressed gaze that slowly loses interest.

I laugh and nod. It’s true, after all, and I’m aware of this. However, His tasks don’t require any set athletic abilities. The children use Truth and the subtle hints we get in order to accomplish our tasks. We use the world that we are in to lead us the right way, and since Ciel is the protagonist of this world, he will lead me to the Key.

A thought crosses my mind and I look back at the young Earl. “I’m pretty good when it comes to music, however. Perhaps the young master would like a musician? ” I offered with a faint smile. In Reality, I began playing piano at the age of four and have been playing ever since, so maybe I could make do with that. “I’m aware that the young master plays the violin himself. This could be the opportunity to learn some duets, no?”

“I thought you weren’t meant to meddle too much with this world.” He pointed out with a slight frown.

“This is irrelevant to the main course of this world. Think of it as an extra leaf painted onto the background of a play. Nothing notable would change whether or not it happened, so it’s alright.” For the first time, I took a sip of the tea and absorbed the rich flavour.As expected from the Phantomhive butler.

A moment of silence passed again until Ciel let out a sharp breath. “I’ve seen enough. If what you say is true, there’s no reason to doubt you. For now, I will accept your story, but do know that I will be keeping an eye on you.”

“I’m very grateful.”

He seems pleased and for once, offers a faint smile. A somewhat sinister one, of course, but it’s better than the cold scowl he wore throughout the duration of our conversation. “Since you know so much, I expect that you know that the reputation of this household is high. As such, if you are to be a musician, temporary or not, you will be a formidable one.”

I let a small laugh slip as I nod, humoured by his pride. “But of course. I wouldn’t be anything less.”

He seemed satisfied with this outcome and stood up. Sebastian immediately handed the young Earl his cane and with a light tap, he turned to face me. “Then from now on, you will be the musician of the Phantomhive Household. I will allow you to perform your work in the sidelines, but you will be my servant to the outside.”

I slip out of the chair and kneel on the ground, one leg bent up to my chest and the other carrying my weight.

“Yes, my Lord.”

All was well, but that still didn’t stop the demon from tailing me that night. I feigned ignorance and retreated to my new bedroom for the night. It was shortly after I opened my door that I felt his hand touch my shoulder gently. He towered over me, but I merely looked back and gave him a questioning look.

“It’s quite unfair that a young lady such as you has to take care of such a burden.” He murmured, and I felt my eyes droop for a moment. I realized what the demon was trying to do after he uttered his next set of words. “To be so full of stress at such a young age...to have to tell such heavy lies...”

“I assure you that I’ve told no lies.” I responded while turning to face the taller figure. “I would also like to inform you that although your powers are concealed, I know what they are. They will not work on me. Report this back to your young master as proof that I have told nothing but the truth.”

I see that he’s surprised. Shocked, even. It was only natural, though. It happens all the time. After all, who would believe that a complete stranger is a being from another dimension? I figured that they would be able to believe my story more easily since Sebastian is a demon and Death Gods are present as well, but I suppose my story is incredibly implausible.

Nevertheless, the demon’s smile soon returned and he gave a slight bow. “My deepest apologies, Miss Alaine.”

“It’s quite alright. This isn’t the first time something similar has happened. I understand that the young master, of all people, would be particularly sceptical about my story.” I reassured with a faint smile. I was left to have a good night’s rest after that, but I’m almost certain I still felt like I was being watched up until the point I drifted off to sleep.

 


	2. Sequence Two

“There will be an increase in servants at the mansion.” Sebastian told the other servants after telling them their duties for the day.

“What?” Three voices rang in unison, followed by a faint “Says Wordsworth.”

So they are already in the company of Snake. I suppose that means they’ve already had their encounter with Baron Kelvin, though I’d have to see if they have boarded the Campania already, or if Ciel should be receiving a letter from the Queen concerning Derek Arden and Weston College.

“Please enter.” The demon spoke, and I poked my head out from behind the door that separated me from the others. I offered a faint smile and greeted the others with a nod.

“It’s a pleasure to work with you. I’ll be this household’s musician.” I informed while fumbling a little it with my attire. I didn’t normally wear dresses in Reality, but I would have to cope. It was a little big on me as well, so Nina Hopkins was called to come over today so that I could get clothes tailored for me.

The other servants seemed happy to meet me, and I recalled that they were quit the happy bunch. Snake was quiet as usual, but I knew enough about him to know that he’s like a lost child most of the time. So long as I don’t make any wrong moves, he wouldn’t harm me. Then again, I have no intention of harming him.

“You have yet to introduce yourself.” Sebastian pointed out while smiling down at me.

“My name is Alaine. I hope we can get along.”

I was soon greeted warmly by the others as they introduced themselves. Baldroy, the chef of the household; Finnian, the gardener; Mey-Rin, the maid; Tanaka, the house steward, and Snake, the footman. I was familiar with all of them and felt rather fortunate that I got to spend time with people such as them. Despite my tedious work, I was sure that their presence would make daily life more amusing.

“There’s no more time to waste. We have a schedule to uphold, so everybody get to work.” The demon ordered, and three energetic servants saluted before going off to tend to their duties. As usual, Tanaka was happily drinking tea while Snake went off to do whatever it was he does.

“Well then, Alaine.” Sebastian started while turning to me. “I will show you to the piano. We have some pieces that you may be able to play. If you have any piece in mind, do not be afraid to tell me. I will get it for you immediately.” His voice was more welcoming than it was the day before, and he even wore a smile as he spoke.

I smiled back and gave him a slight nod. “I appreciate the thought, but shouldn’t I play what the young master wants to hear?” I asked while following him down the halls, passing several doors along the way.

“The young master does not have a particular interest in music, so the piece you play will be your choice for now. He will merely tell you if what you play suits his tastes or not.”

“Hm. I guess that works.”

He opened the door to one of the rooms. Inside, I saw Ciel’s violin resting on a bureau. There seemed to be a number of pieces on the bureau, as well as various music books shelves on the book case that made up an entire wall. A single music stand stood by the grand piano that took up about a third of the room.

I grinned a bit as I approached the piano, running my fingers across its rim. “Fazioli.” I murmured while reading the brand name of the piano engraved into it. “I should have expected nothing less.”

“I am pleased to hear that it is to your liking.”

“Funny.” I mused while glancing towards the demon with a faint hint of a smirk. “I feel like I’m being treated more like a guest than another servant.”

A smile played on his lips in response to my words. “I have an observation to make about you as well.” I raised an eyebrow just slightly to express my curiosity. “Your manner of speech and behaviour falter between elegance and slight inelegance quite often. You also sometimes fail to keep your posture.” He seemed amused.

I let out a faint laugh and opened the keyboard’s cover as I spoke. “I suppose that’s carelessness on my part. In Reality, my true nature is far too…unacceptable for a place such as the Phantomhive Household. I will pay more attention to my behaviour in the future.”

“Let us hope that at least your skills as a musician are acceptable.” Sebastian retorted with his usual smile before leaving me be. I clicked my tongue in response, deciding to simply smile a bit in return.

Once the door closed behind him, I stared at the exquisite piano before me and rested my pianos on the keys. Finally, I let out a deep sigh and closed my eyes. “I don’t have any pieces memorized.” I muttered to myself before getting up and making my way towards the piano pieces that were available.

There was one piece I had in mind, since I’ve been playing it in Reality. It should already have been composed, so finding it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Ah.” I murmured to myself when I saw that familiar title. The Lark by Mikhail Glinka, paraphrased by Mily Balakirev. I thought while delicately placing the music sheets on the piano. “Let’s see if I can get this right…”

As I began to play the piece, I absorbed the rich sound that the piano was creating—no, that I was creating. Maybe it was the atmosphere, but it seemed to be a lot more elegant and full of more emotion than when I would play it in my small home in Reality. I was in a mansion, after all.

It soon came to the part where there were many runs and my fingers flew across the keyboard. Flipping pages was hard, but I managed to pull it off with minimal breaks in the piece as I played. As the piece continued to escalate, I noticed how the piano gradually began to sound more and more distorted. It’s a shame that the breaking of this world would affect a thing as insignificant as this piano, which has hardly ever been seen before, assuming it’s been seen at all.

The distortion soon faded however as the piece came to an end. When I played the final chords, I heard the door click open and I turned my head to see none other than the child accompanied by the black demon at the doorway.

“Impressive.” He commented, a faint, satisfactory smile playing on his lips. “Perhaps you would better off playing with an orchestra rather than in this tiny room.”

“I don’t deserve such praise, young master.” I responded while matching his smile. “But if that was perhaps an invitation to leave, I’m afraid I can’t do that. Not anytime soon, anyway. Please bear with my presence until I find what I need.”

“How rude, to expect the worst of me.” He mused with mock-chiding look.

I scoffed while slipping away from the piano to set the piece on the bureau. “Your humour could use a little work, young master.” I mused with an amused grin. “Then again, maliciousness is probably a priority, isn’t it?” I said more as a statement that a question.

His face fell into a frown briefly, but was suddenly one of shock when the voice of a young woman called down the hall. I couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction, as it’s always amusing when the ever-so-mature Earl Phantomhive is surprise or embarrassed.

“Earl! You’re still a beautiful boy as always.” The voice called, and I immediately inferred that it was none other than Nina Hopkins who had arrived. The young woman came into view and although she seemed appalled by Sebastian’s presence, her expression fell completely when she saw me. “What a tragedy! Did that stupid, plain butler put you in this old thing? It’s no wonder I was called on such short notice.”

I couldn’t help but grin as I saw Sebastian’s eyebrow twitch, though the rest of his expression remained unimpressed. Ciel seemed at a loss of what to do, seeing as Nina was already dreaming up designs for whatever it was she would have me wear.

“Perhaps something along the lines of a pink evening dress would suit me quite nicely.” I joked, my grin widening when I saw Ciel’s horrified expression. “Then again, a fine dress like that is fit only for a girl with an incredibly small physique.” The young Earl seemed ready to lash at me, but at least Sebastian seemed to appreciate my humour. It seemed that Nina was already completely lost, as she had been occupying herself with taking some of my measurements already, despite the fact that I was still wearing a dress, which isn’t as bad as she made it out to be.

“May I suggest changing locations before Ms. Hopkins sews in music sheets to your clothing?” The demon soon suggested while holding his hand out, gesturing towards the hallway.

Still talking furiously to herself, Nina subconsciously started making her way to whichever room it was that Ciel normally got his clothes tailored in.

Once her presence had faded, Ciel immediately shot a childish glare towards me, to which I smiled. “That was absolutely unnecessary of you.”

“Au contraire. I think it’s quite necessary for a child to show his cute side once in a while.” I responded with a smile, noticing the tense expression that he wore soon after. “Perhaps I should call you Smile instead.”

“You will do no such thing.” He glowered while Sebastian led us to the tailoring room. “While you may be a guest of sorts, you’re currently acting as my servant and as such, you will abide by my rules.”

I stifled a laugh and bowed my head just slightly. “But of course.” The young Earl just makes it so easy.

After entering the room, I was immediately whisked away by Nina and had the dress literally torn off me. Thankfully, Sebastian had already removed himself and Ciel from the room by then.

“How…Beautiful!” The tailor cried while slipping the soft fabric over my arms and torso. “Such smooth skin, such a fine waist, such long legs! Your chest isn’t very impressive, but I’ll surely accent your prominent features!”

“I wasn’t aware that I had any.” I responded with a modest smile, taking no offence to that comment about my chest. It’s true, after all, and I’ve come to terms with it by the time I reached my first year of high school.

“Even with a figure that you could flaunt so beautifully, you’re so modest!” She cooed while swiftly sewing up the hems of the dress and fitting it properly. After a few moments of sewing at near inhuman speeds, I found myself fitted with a dress similar to Mey-Rin’s, but coloured to look less like a maid’s outfit. It was a lot slimmer, but was loose enough so that I could move comfortably. “A pianist must be capable of using the pedals with ease, so you have lots of leg room. This is way better than that thing Mr. Stiff had you wear, isn’t it?”

I laughed a bit at the nickname and nodded while stepping off the small stand she had be propped on while she was working. “Thank you very much, Ms. Hopkins.”

Her eyes twinkled as she threw her arms around me, partially groping and partially holding up fabrics to match my appearance. Now I know how poor Mey-Rin feels. I thought with a sheepish sigh. “Yes, yes! So many possibilities, I have to sketch them immediately! Please wait a moment outside, I need to concentrate!!”

With that, I was shoved out of the room in the new dress. The door closed behind me and I blinked in confusion, wondering how in the world that woman managed to get me out of the room in a matter of seconds.

I heard a slight chuckle a few feet down the hall and turned to see Sebastian approaching. “It seems although Ms. Hopkins is as excitable as ever, though I suppose it’s alright if her results are satisfactory.”

“You ought to give her more credit. She is the one who managed to make even the young master look like an innocent little girl.” I pointed out, earning a smile from the butler. “Well, until Ms. Hopkins is done with her work, I’ll continue practising.”

“Very well then.”

I gave him a curt nod before remembering that I have yet to establish the final detail of where I am in this story. “Oh, that’s right—” I started while grabbing Sebastian’s attention once more. I would have to ask a question that would help me answer my question but at the same time, not give away the future if it hasn’t already happened. “When was the last time you encountered Grell Sutcliff?”

The demon’s eyebrow twitched and in response, I tightened my lips into a firm line so that I wouldn’t smirk. “We had the honour of running into him on the _Campania_. Will that answer suffice?”

I nodded and nodded my head before turning around, a slight smile lingering in my voice as I spoke.

“Yes, thank you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading ~


	3. Sequence Three

While absently playing scales over and over, I closed my eyes as I thought about my next train of action. The small piece of information I got from Sebastian a few days ago has confirmed that they had already endured the events of the Campania. Today was Easter, so Ciel would be getting the letter from the Queen today. That meant that I had to start thinking of a way to get into Weston College as well. Without a doubt, the Key is in that school. There were two very obvious problems, however.

The first is that it’s a school for males, and I’m a female. The second is that I don’t excel much in academics, nor do I have a high social status – I don’t have any social status in this world at all, actually – and my athletic capabilities are probably only slightly better than Ciel’s. I can play the piano, but whether or not it’s good enough for the Purple House is a different story.

Well, the first problem isn’t very hard to solve. With what little dimensional powers I have as one of His children, I could change my physical appearance and make it so I’m the son of a noble that plays little to no role in the series. The second problem is the real hurdle. I need to be good enough to get into the school, and my own capabilities cannot be changed that easily. I could explain, but the explanation involves me having two bodies and a joint soul and the connections between the worlds and-- …It just isn’t very necessary.

Another smaller problem is where in Weston College the Key is located. Whether it be in an area accessible to all the students or just the student of a particular house doesn’t worry me, since I can bend this world a little bit to enable simple forms of teleportation. However, if the Key was more related to somebody like the principal, it would be a pain. Right now, I only knew for certain that the Key was in Weston College, so I had little time to prepare. There aren’t many things I’m allowed to confront the Earl and the demon with since I can’t tell them their own story, but perhaps there’s a way where I could get ideas from either of them. Sebastian managed to become a dorm advisor, after all.

My thoughts were interrupted by a short series of knock, followed by the sound of the door opening. My fingers slowed until the faint ringing of the notes lingered in the air as I turned to see Sebastian at the door.

“My apologies for intruding, but the guests have arrived.” He spoke with a smile, the bunny ears sticking up from his head catching all of my attention. I had managed to avoid a certain girl’s tendency to put everybody in costumes as she saw fit, but I knew I would have to quietly suffer alongside them sooner or later.

“I’ll make my way down shortly.” I responded as I closed the piano.  Silently, the two of us headed towards the room in which everybody was gathered.

As I opened the door, I was greeted by familiar faces who were all wearing bunny ears. A pair was immediately set on my own head by none other than Elizabeth, the fiancée of Ciel.

“Alaine, you look so cute with bunny ears!” She exclaimed brightly with her signature smile.

“I deserve no such words. They suit you much more, Lady Elizabeth.” I responded warmly.

I had met Elizabeth one before our encounter today, later during the day where I got my dress tailored. Ciel had to get some new clothes tailored for him, which was also when the amusing scene of Sebastian covering the Earl’s scar played out with the poor girl being none the wiser.

As I greeted the other servants, Elizabeth’s older brother Edward, Nina, as well as Soma and Agni, I gradually made my way over to the window and began to unlatch it. Ciel soon arrived and Lizzie would exclaim that he was late, equip him with the bunny ears that everybody was wearing, which then led to her presenting the Easter egg that she had made herself.

“What are you doing all the way over here, Alaine?” Sebastian asked while peering over my shoulder as I struggled with the latch. “You’re not trying to escape, are you?”

“No questions, just open the window.” I muttered quickly, hearing Edward shout “It’s on, Ciel!” right as the butler and I swung the window open. Right on time, Earl Grey swung through the window.

I caught the hint of surprise in his eyes, since he was probably expecting to crash through the window instead. As the others reacted accordingly, I stepped to the side and let Charles Phipps enter through the window as well. The surprised expressions of Ciel and his butler didn’t go unnoticed as well, and I grinned from their reactions.

“I’m not supposed to meddle with the flow of your story, but there are little things that I can help with that won’t affect the other variables. Avoiding a broken window was simply an act of practicality.”

“It would have been better if you conjured up a brick wall for him to crash into.” Ciel muttered under his breath, causing me to stifle a laugh. “I suppose you’re not as useless after all.”

I smiled, one that was very similar to that of Sebastian’s. “How could I be a servant of the Phantomhive Household if I could not even predict a little bit of the future?” I joked, earning a sigh from the young Earl.

After the exchange of words went on as usual and the egg hunting game was established, I watched as the teams went off to search for Elizabeth’s egg before seating myself before the piano that was in the room. I was pretty sure it was the ballroom, and seeing more than one piano in this household was hardly a surprise.

“Oh, Alaine!” Elizabeth cried while bouncing over to me. “You shouldn’t have to work while the others are out having fun.”

“It’s my duty as this household’s musician to keep the guests entertained. It will be rather boring waiting for the others to return in silence, will it not?”

By now, she had a hold on my arm and was tugging at it with a bright smile. “Then, you can entertain me by chatting with me! I want to understand Ciel, but a lot of the time, it appears that he avoids my questions.” I saw a hint of sadness in her eyes for a moment, but it was quickly covered with her usual cheerful demeanor.

I let her pull me to the table, where I seated her before taking the seat across from her. “Although it may be difficult, it would be better to address personal matters to the young master directly. However, I will do my best to answer any questions you may have.” There wasn’t much time until Edward and Nina would be disqualified, so I granted that Elizabeth would only manage to ask one or two questions before they returned.

“Well…” She started, fidgeting a bit in her seat. “…Is there…Has there been something troubling Ciel lately?”

“The young master is busy as the Earl of Phantomhive, so it’s only natural that he would be concerned with work a lot of the time.” I answered, only speaking words similar to what Sebastian has told her before. I saw the slight disappointment in her eyes, so I smiled reassuringly as I continued. “However, I’m sure he’s glad to be able to spend a relaxing day with everybody. It will surely clear his mind, if only for a moment.”

The young girl seemed relieved by my answer and thanked me like the elegant young lady she is. Before she could ask any other questions, Edward and Nina returned with their broken egg and ladles. I smiled at the site before getting up from my seat to make my way to the piano.

Edward was already wailing about how he had failed Elizabeth, but it didn’t seem like the young girl was too concerned with the outcome. After all, she was rooting for Ciel to find her egg first. It seemed almost cruel, the way she would innocently neglect her older brother without even knowing it. I stifled a laugh as I acknowledged this before lifting the cover of the piano.

“Is there anything in particular that you would wish for me to play?” I asked, directing the question to the room.

A moment of thought passed before Edward spoke up. “A waltz, perhaps, if you’re familiar with any.” An appropriate piece for a ballroom, but I got the feeling that he just wanted to dance with his dear sister.

I nodded once before searching through the mental archive of music that was stored in my head. A waltz immediately had me thinking about Chopin and his many compositions. Finally, I decided on a waltz and played a few chords before starting the piece.

“Ah, we’re just in time to hear Alaine play!” Mey-Rin’s voice called from the door. Chopin’s waltz, No. 6 in D-flat major Op. 64 is what they were greeted with, and it seemed to suit their tastes. “So elegant…” She sighed while resting her hands on her apron.

“It sure would’ve been nice if the battlefield could have music like this, haha!” I heard Baldroy laugh soon after.

As I continued to play, more people began to return to the ballroom.  I played it slightly more slowly that it should be played since it was merely background music, though it felt more like a performance since nobody was really talking and merely listened. I admit that it was a little worrying, but I continued to play nonetheless.

It wasn’t too long after until Double Charles returned in defeat. Charles Grey was complaining about the egg hatching, but fell silent when he realized that I was playing. I felt my heartbeat grow faster, but it soon calmed as I played the last few notes just as Ciel and Sebastian returned shortly after the two Charles’.

Applause sounded in the room and I hesitantly turned to face him with a smile and bowed my head. “I’m in no favour of such gratitude. Please, enjoy the Easter meal. I produce nothing but background noise.” After receiving some more praise, the others took their seats and began to eat and chat. Earl Charles, however, remained standing as he addressed Ciel, but also directed his words in such a way that I would hear them as well.

“My, my. Do you train all your servants to be this modest, Earl Phantomhive?” He mused with grin. “Sadly, my incredible talent lies not in music. Perhaps we should take her with us so that she may entertain the Her Majesty the Queen instead. Surely her talents would be put to better use in the palace.”

“I’m afraid I cannot allow that, but your praise is greatly appreciated.” The young Earl responded with a respectful smile before turning towards me. He seemed to be satisfied and although he said nothing, gave me a slight nod. I took this as a sign to resume playing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Earl Grey handed the letter I had been expecting to see to Ciel; the letter from the Queen that requested that he investigate Derek Arden and the other students. As my fingers moved on their own, I began to contemplate one more how I could approach this issue.

It was then when I recalled the words that Earl Grey spoke only moments before. Perhaps we should take her with us so that she may entertain Her Majesty the Queen instead. I assumed that this meant that my piano playing wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was. Then again, perhaps I had been subconsciously morphing the sound of my playing into something suited for an Earl, and apparently even the Queen.

If this was the case, then I could probably get into the Violet House; the house where students excelled in the arts. That would get me into the school, but I still didn’t know if I’d be able to get the Key if I were to be placed in that house. The chances of it being somewhere unreachable were low, but still plausible. I sighed quietly to myself as I found myself reaching another dead end.

With any luck, the other worlds won’t pose as much of a trouble as this one.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :D


	4. Sequence Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alaine goes to school.

In a room with sofas and a coffee table, Ciel was enjoying some afternoon tea as I played a simple tune in the background to fill in the silence. It’s only been a day since he’s known about Derrick Arden and now was the time that we were going to discuss what to do.

“I already know what you and Sebastian plan on doing.” I spoke while absently letting my fingers press down on the keys. “The problem is, I’m not sure how I could get myself into the college. Feigning the appearance of a male won’t be a challenge. I’m more concerned about the more technical requirements needed to enroll. I’m aware that I’m most suited for the Purple House, which just so happens to be the House you need to examine, but I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be able to help simplify your investigation at all if I were be placed there.”

He seemed to understand that I was reminding him about my rule of not meddling with the course of this world, but that didn’t stop the young boy from letting out a slightly irritated sigh. Nevertheless, he accepted that fact and moved on with the issue at hand.

“Normally I would create a new profile and give you a fake identity, but the school is made up entirely of sons of nobility and most of them know each other. It would be dangerous to use a disguise.” Ciel murmured, his chin resting in his hand as he stared at the enrolment papers before him. He was clearly irritated, but it was hidden well beneath a layer of deep though. “I have a relative attending Weston College as well, so getting in under a disguise would be too risky.”

“I may be able to solve the disguise issue.” I informed, but was a little hesitant to do so. Both the child and the demon drew their attention towards me. “Being from another world, I have a little bit of…dimensional powers, per say. They are limited, but it may be enough to get myself a valid identity. All I need is a noble family in England that you’re not well-associated with and I can handle the rest.”

Although I could manipulate this dimension just enough to make it so one of the lesser-known noble families had a son attending Weston College, I couldn’t adjust things too far. The families that could get me into the Red House were too risky, so I didn’t even want to consider those. Enrolment-wise, I really only had three choices, since getting into Scarlet Fox, or the Red House – the house with students of high birth – was completely out of the question. I would disrupt this world far too much if I messed with one of the larger noble families.

My other options were to become incredibly athletic in the next few days so I could get into Green Lion, or perhaps somehow prove that I’m studious enough to get into Sapphire Owl, the one Ciel is destined to be placed in. I furrowed my brows in thought, knowing that Violet Wolf, the house with students accomplished in the arts, was the place I could get into the most easily. However, that was the mystery of this arc. That’s where Derek Arden and the other students are, and where they wouldn’t be found after Ciel would try to chase them out with a fire.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to throw myself into the story’s darkness. I’m not here to mess with the plot, after all. I’m here to find what I need and leave. Then again, what if what I need is in the Purple House? But technically, the sub-world of the Purple House doesn’t exist since it hasn’t been revealed to Reality yet. I’m sure the Creator of Kuroshitsuji knows how it things will turn out, but I myself do not. Then again, worlds such as this had the tendency to fill in gaps on their own. I’ve seen it happen before, so it would most likely happen again.

I suppose I was lost in thought for a moment too long because the young Earl caught my attention.

“You could be a son of the Harcourt.” Ciel murmured as his gaze settled in the middle of some files he had been scanning. I assumed it was an archive of sorts.

“That will not do.” I responded bluntly. Ciel frowned, but didn’t question my objection. I remembered the student named Joanne Harcourt that would play a role in this arc. It’s a small role, but a role nonetheless. I didn’t dare take any risks in messing with it. I closed my eyes and thought back, wondering what names I could go under. I then remembered on panel where Sebastian was crossing off victims of Maurice’s lies. I smiled faintly while a surname resurfaced from my memories. “Carter.”

Silently, the young Earl went through his files. It wasn’t long before he paused and looked up at me. “…Alright then. You will need a first name.”

“Allen will do just fine.” I stated almost immediately, having thought this through briefly already. With a faint smile, I looked up at the butler and his master. “I will make the proper adjustments tonight. Although you and Sebastian will know who I am, the others will believe that I am Allen Carter, an aspiring musician. Of course, when I’m done, I will revert things back to normal and nobody will by none the wiser.”

“We cannot be certain that your skills will be enough for the Purple House.” Ciel pointed out.

“If I remember correctly, I do believe that Earl Grey implied that I am capable enough to entertain Her Majesty the Queen.” I stated with an amused smile. “I don’t mean to be arrogant, but I think that will be more than enough.”

There was a brief exchange of glances until Ciel nodded once. The plan was settled.

I would make it so Allen Carter has always been around in this dimension. I would enroll as a student of Weston College in Purple House while Ciel would be placed in the Blue House. While he conducted his investigation, I would proceed to locate the Key.

How simple this plan sounded, but I could feel the balance this world teetering on an edge. There was a shift in the air that made me get an uncomfortable feeling in my gut, but it was a familiar one. If things don’t get out of hand, I would still have a few weeks to complete my task. It may seem like a long time but for this task, it isn’t very long. Well, whatever time I have left isn’t something I should be considering. I should always be finding the Keys as fast as possible, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading = u=b


	5. Sequence Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alaine has a change of plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm 99% sure this is the right version and I'm a little too lazy to check so uh, godspeed :D

“This seems almost a little too easy.” I sighed while approaching the enormous plot of land that held Weston College. Ciel and I were to enter the school at different times and act although we don’t know each other, which really played into both of our favours. Although he didn’t know it yet, I knew we’d be meeting in Sebastian’s soon-to-be Professor Michaelis’ office on occasion.

After dealing with the dimensional part of the plan, I gained a few “memories” of being Allen Carter. I had a decent number of friends in the Violet House and am known for my talents in piano. I’m a second-year student at Weston College but I’m a new student so I don’t have a fag, nor am I a fag myself.

Minutes passed as I tried to locate the Key, but to no avail. At least its signals were getting stronger, but there was no definite location that I was being drawn to. With any luck, the Key would be established by the end of the day.

“P-Please wait!”

I turned at the sound of the familiar words called by a familiar voice, though it was much brighter than usual. I smirked as I saw Ciel just barely make it through the gates before they closed.

“I warned you to leave a little earlier.” I murmured as I brushed past him briefly. I sensed the irritation radiating from him and simply smiled before going off on my merry way. We both had our own things to do, after all.

The school worked similarly to my own, except it was an all-boys school and it was of much higher class. That, and the discipline and order and overall grace of the school were far higher than a high school of Reality. I’m not even so sure that grace exists at all in a high school.

I planned on getting to know the rest of the campus while I left Ciel to his endeavours, but I soon felt a pulse run through my body and a force draw me towards the murmuring. My eyes widened as the pulse came again, strong this time. The Key was close by, and it was only getting closer.

My lips pressed into a firm line when I realized what the source of this alarm was. As expected, standing on the lawn was a confused Ciel. Approaching him were four older students.

The prefects.

The Key.

I felt the pulse once more and I narrowed my eyes, as if it would help me see the key. No, it isn’t something I can see. This Key didn’t have a physical form. It had something to do with the prefects, but it was nothing that they wore or nothing that they owned.

I frowned.

These types of Keys were a little bit more of a pain, but I’ll manage. This isn’t the first time it’s happened. In one world, the Key was somebody’s love. That was quite the challenge but at least no Key is the same. Thank goodness for that.

I know now where the Key is, but there is a problem. The Key involves the prefects, but the prefects play a large role in this arc. Ciel has to get quite involved with the prefects as well, and I cannot meddle with the plot. I frowned to myself as I began to make my way to my first class. I will let things carry on as they should for now, but I know I will need to form some sort of relationship with the prefects sooner or later.

Thankfully, I’m already familiar with the prefect of my house. He is quite fond of my music, which makes things easier for me. I could probably work my way to the prefects through him, but I’ll most likely have to do something similar to what Ciel does. Get to the prefects through their fag, I mean.

“So I need to get to Cheslock, then.” I murmured to myself before entering my classroom, books in hand. By the time I had arrived at my class, I had decided to consult the Earl and the demon once they established the fact that they need to get close to the prefects.

The day went on as usual and the rhythmic pulsing that signalled the presence of the Key remained generally constant throughout the day. I made sure to keep an eye out for the prefects and their fags, as well as any other students that were even remotely associated with them. I saw nothing in particular that I could work with, so in the end I returned to my dorm empty handed.

My best bet is to simply aid Ciel with his plan to expose Maurice’s true nature and to continue being on good terms with Cheslock and Gregory Violet, the prefect of my house. So long as the same results are attained, there should be no problems.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading ~


	6. Sequence Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alaine gets an unexpectedly expected invitation.

It appears that Ciel and I have both gained a bit of a reputation during the past week. We are both new students and still haven’t been assigned to an upper year, but we’re both “incredibly talented individuals.” By that I mean the other students are incredibly impressed with our work when it comes to cleaning up the dining hall or performing other mundane tasks for the prefect’s fags. Of course, Ciel would simply have Sebastian do all these chores for him while I would use my powers every now and then to help myself out.

For me uniquely, my House seems pleased with my piano playing, and that has gotten me its own reputation as well. I was flattered, of course, but I really didn’t want to spend my time playing when I could be plotting ways to win the trust of the prefects. It’s been more than once that I’ve felt tears in this world and really, it does not lessen my worries at all.

“Are you Carter? I was told that I may be able to find you here.” A voice soon called into the dining hall. I had finished cleaning it a few minutes before and had been playing a soft piece on the piano to kill time. I looked up from behind the piano and saw that it was…

“Yes, that would be me. You are Maurice Cole, correct?” I questioned with a smile and he responded in kind. “I have heard rumours about your beauty, but I see now that they weren’t mere tales.” I was surprised by his presence, but I covered that up with my words. He couldn’t be here for the reason I think he’d be here for, could he?

He smiled kindly back at me, but that smile of his was a little unsettling. At least I know why.

“My, did you clean up this place? You and Phantomhive certainly are spectacular individuals.” He complimented while running his pearly white fingers across the dining tables. “I see that the rumours of your talents are more than mere tales as well.”

“You’re simply flattering me.” I answered while running my fingers across the piano. “Was there something you wished to speak to me about? Perhaps I should make some teacakes for the prefects?”

He responded with a soft giggle, but shook his head. “No, no. I would be responsible for such things, at least for Redmond.” I was oddly comforted by the fact that I knew that most of what he says are lies. “The prefects wanted me to pass a message to you.”

So it appears that he is here for that.

My playing slowed and I raised an eyebrow curiously. “I didn’t do something wrong, did I?”

“No, not at all.” He answered calmly while standing by the piano. “They want you to come to the Swan Gazebo tomorrow. It appears that you have caught their interest.”

I’ll admit that I’m surprised at this turn of events. I didn’t expect for a similar opportunity to arise, but I suppose that since Ciel and I hold some similarities, it isn’t all-too surprising. With a gentle gaze, I stopped playing and looked up at Cole with a faint smile.

“I would be honoured.” I answered gracefully while closing the lid of the piano. Fag Time was almost done, anyway.

“Then, we will be expecting you tomorrow at four o’clock in the afternoon.” He stated innocently, and I responded with a nod. Our smiles reflected one-another, though I was certain that he wasn’t aware I matched even the slyness in his smile.

He left gracefully and closed the door silently behind him after we exchanged waves. Once I was alone in the room once more, I couldn’t help but chuckle a little to myself. I wondered if I should head to the gazebo early to surprise him. Then again, that would make Ciel look rather bad. I decided that I would have to pretend not to know that I was lied to and arrive at the gazebo at a later time. That way, I would also have a reason to help Ciel with his plan to get back at Cole.

My task was flowing awfully close to the regular course of this world, which is really what worried me the most at this point. On the other hand, it may be good that my task was so similar to Ciel. Yes, that’s quite true. Now I don’t have to go snooping around the school to find a Key completely unrelated to the storyline of this world. I wouldn’t have to cause other events to happen. In fact, this may be one of the best possible outcomes that could arise when finding a Key.

I smiled to myself as I thought of this, imagining how surprisingly simple all this could be. Ciel would definitely be reluctant to let me help with his plan to get back at Cole, but I would have a reason to be a part of it as well because Cole would have lied to me about the time. I would also have to win back the favour of the prefects.

With this in mind, I left the dining hall to prepare for classes.

* * *

It was well into the evening now, so I prepared myself to pay Ciel and Sebastian a visit in the Blue House. A small dimensional rift for travelling purposes would cause no trouble. After all, things have taken a turn and our situation has become rather…interesting.

Making sure nobody was in sight, I worked my powers and in a blink of an eye, I materialized in Professor Michaelis’ office. Ciel had just entered and the moment they saw that I was there, he narrowed his eyes at me.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m responding accordingly to the change of scenario.” I answered immediately while leaning against the bureau in the room. I angled myself so that I was facing the child and the demon. Sebastian seemed curious as well, so I figured Ciel already informed the demon about my misbehaviour.

After running my hand through my shortened hair, I sighed and began to explain the situation.

“As it turns out, the Key that I’m looking for relies solely on my relationship with the prefects. I know that in order to get closer to your goal, Ciel, you’ll need to get into their favour. The same applies to me.” I stated with a sigh before continuing, ignoring the slight irritation coming from the child when I addressed him so casually. “Our original plan was to let each other do their own thing, but that won’t work anymore. I am now meddling with the course of this world, which will make it collapse at a faster rate. That means I need to get into their favour faster.”

“So this has become a race against time.” The young Earl murmured while furrowing his brows. “Was that was the ripple was about?”

I nodded once. “I had to make a little adjustment to my role so that my encounter with you and the prefects would flow a little more easily. I don’t have a fag, nor am I one myself, so I can use this to my advantage and perhaps start with Cheslock, the fag of the Purple House’s prefect. You will be doing the same with Clayton, correct?”

Ciel responded with a faint nod. “I was invited to meet the P4 tomorrow at four in the afternoon.”

“I received the same invitation.” I said with an amused grin, which only grew wider when I saw the surprised expression on the young Earl’s face. “I’m hardly surprised, though. We have quite the reputation already.”

“That’s true…” He agreed, his voice trailing off. “You said that you need the P4 in your favour as well, but I’d rather you don’t get in my way at all.”

I sighed and waved my hand nonchalantly before giving him a slight warning look. “I’m afraid you will have to be less stubborn than you normally are when it comes to this. The more we can cooperate during all this, the smoother things will be for all of us. Plus, I’m sure we’ll be able to make use of what little powers I have.”

“I will have to agree with Alaine, young master.” Sebastian spoke softly while setting a small cake before Ciel. “It may not be favourable, but it seems she will prove to be of use.”

He was irritated, which may be an understatement, but finally sighed in defeat. “As much of a burden that may be, that is true. I suppose this means we will be arriving at Swan Gazebo together?”

“With teacakes, of course.” I added with a smile.

“Bah, why do I have to prepare snacks for kids…” The young Earl muttered as he leaned back in the armchair.

As the dialogue continued, I leaned against the bureau and found myself drumming the top of it somewhat anxiously. The storyline would proceed relatively as normal except for with an added variable – me – so it shouldn’t vary too much, but I still found myself worried that it may be too big of a change.

However, there wasn’t much that I could do about it. It was either this, or mess with the flow of this world even more to create my own method of winning their trust.

Eventually, Ciel and Sebastian’s conversation came to a rest and with the final details decided, it was time for me to go. Just as there was a knock on the door, I straightened myself up and turned to the other two in the room.

“Well then, I will see you at Swan Gazebo.” I mused with a grin before giving them both a slight wave. “I wish you both a good night.” I said and disappearing with a rift, returning to the Purple House.

I materialized myself in the washroom after knowing that the coast would be clear. As I made my way down to where my bed was, I felt a presence behind me and turned around to see none other than the prefect’s fag.

“You’re up pretty late, Carter.” He sneered, but he’s generally like that. He doesn’t seem too harsh towards the other Purple House students but since I’m a new face, that’s probably why he’s still hostile. “The other students have already retreated to their dorms. What’re you still doing, wandering around?”

I did, however, note that his voice told me that he was more curious than he was suspicious.

With a sheepish smile, I rubbed the back of my head and let out an airy laugh. “It’s a little embarrassing since I’ve been here for a few days already, but I still get lost every now and then.”

Not much to my surprise, Cheslock laughed at my words before walking up so he was by my side. “Well, it’s to be expected.” He noted. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so I simply laughed sheepishly once more and let him guide me back to my room.

“Thank you.” I murmured while giving him a nod.

“It appears that you’re hopeless when it comes to directions, but at least you have a knack with piano. We’re expecting a decent performance tomorrow.” The older student reminded me with a toothy grin. Every now and then, somebody would provide music in the dining hall. Tomorrow was my turn, so I had a small case of butterflies in my stomach.

I nodded once, smiling a bit myself. “Get your act together by then, or else you’ll just end up making a fool of yourself. Hyahaha!”

“I’ll be sure to do so. Good night, Cheslock.”

It’s hard to tell how this individual would react to things. I suppose I could say the same for all the students of the Purple House. It’s a little annoying, really.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading = u=b


	7. Sequence Seven

“It’s the prefects!”

“With their fags, too? Hm.”

“I don’t care much for them, either.”

“Shush, they’ll hear you!”

I wasn’t aware that this was how things were going to go. The presence of all the prefects and their fags wasn’t accounted for. I didn’t think too much of it, though. All I had to do was play and impress them. I don’t mean to brag, but I’m rather confident in my abilities by now. I have already impressed Ciel and Cheslock, after all. I couldn’t tell if Maurice was being sincere the day before, but I don’t care much for his opinion.

A small, separate table and been set up for the prefects and their fags to dine at this morning. I didn’t think this little concert was going to receive any outside audience. I had been under the impression that I would just be providing background music for the morning. Really, this hardly seems like something that would occur for breakfast. Sebastian was present as well, watching at the back of the dining hall with his masking smile. I had asked if he could make himself present if possible, despite his busy schedule.

Our eyes met briefly and the moment I saw the slightest hint of acknowledgment in his eyes, I looked away. What are all these implications, you may ask? Well, it would be far less interesting if I just ruined the thrill of mystery, wouldn’t it. You will find out soon enough.

Violet had the responsibility of organizing the order of musicians. He had the order planned out for a couple of days now and had told the prefects as well. What he didn’t know was that I took the liberty of switching my name with Cheslock’s on his messy little schedule. What a bizarre fellow, not even noticing the change. It was to be expected, after all, or else I would never have done it to begin with. Confident that this change would not be acknowledged until the last minute, I took a seat at one of the dining table closet to the prefects, which was also the table closes to the instruments that had been prepared for the morning. While quietly sipping from a cup of tea, I began to make my observations of the people around me.

Students were talking amongst themselves. The prefects seemed to be eager to hear what talents the Purple House had in store for them. Violet used his schedule as a napkin and Cheslock humbly pointed it out to him. The prefect didn’t seem to care much. I smirked at the exasperated expression poor Cheslock wore. Finally, my eyes settled on Maurice. As usual, he was smiling elegantly and poured his dear prefect a cup of tea. His quick glances upwards did not go unnoticed by me, however.

Without any announcements, the first student took his seat before the piano and began to play. The volume of the chattering decreased, though it didn’t stop completely. The music served primarily as background music, after all. There was no need for introductions or applauds. It was simply to enjoy the talents that this house had to offer.

Before it was meant to be my turn, I saw Maurice leave the table. He seemed to be heading off to examine some of the books on the balcony that went around the top of the dining hall.

Every now and then, I would see Violet check his tattered schedule to see who was next and made sure things were running smoothly. The corners of my mouth twitched when I saw the confusion in Cheslock’s eyes when he saw that he was next when it was supposed to be me.

“Are you sure that’s right, Violet?” Cheslock asked while looking at the schedule. His brows furrowed a bit when he saw that it was true. He was confused, but didn’t question it any further.

“That’s what I wrote down, so it must be true.” Violent responded nonchalantly with a slight shrug. Although the other prefects noticed the change as well, they decided not to say anything against it. It wasn’t a bit deal, after all. With half-lidded eyes, he turned to Cheslock and gave an expectant look. “The silence is growing larger. Don’t cause any more delay.”

Although still a little confused, Cheslock nodded once and started on his way. “Yes, of course.” He seemed confident in his ability to please, judging from the smugness that was evident in his smirk.

Seconds after he positioned himself before the piano, his hands began to fly delicately across the keys. Ah, Reflets dans l’eau by Debussy. It was quite a sight to see a person of his appearance playing something so elegant, and so gracefully as well. Don’t judge a book by its cover, as they say. After just a couple of seconds of him playing, however, there was the faint sound of something cutting through the air, followed by a slice.

“Move!” I shouted, propelling myself towards a startled Cheslock.

The light positioned above him began to fall and was only a couple of feet above us by the time I reached him. The moment I grabbed his arm and pulled, the lights went off and a loud crash sounded across the dining halls. Surprised yells were followed by murmurs and shouts that demanded to know what happened. Seconds later, the lights came back on.

I was lying on the ground in a messy heap with Cheslock next to me. He was shaken, and his left arm was bleeding. I could feel his heart racing through the pulse of is wrist, which I was still holding onto. There were small beads of sweat forming at his hairline.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Maurice running down with a book in hand to see what had happened. He came to a stop when he was next to Redmond once more. His eyes were wide in shock and his body had tensed to match the others.

“Carter, are you alright?” He asked immediately while fidgeting with his hands.

“Please do not worry about me. It was Cheslock who was almost crushed, after all.” I answered while acting although I was flustered.

“W-What…?” The others didn’t seem to notice his confusion, however, as the prefects were already gathering around Cheslock and I and the students were being rather noisy.

The way Maurice’s expression faltered between shock and genuine shock was highly amusing. I was certain that Sebastian was enjoying the subtleties as well.

After pushing myself up, I immediately went over to help Cheslock into a sitting position and steadied his arm. His left sleeve had been torn and blood was seeping through, so I tore the bottom half off and began to use it as makeshift gauze to wrap the wound.

“Why did you rip my sleeve?!” He shouted angrily and winced when I tightened the torn fabric.

“I thought it would be a good look for you. Was I mistaken?” Was my innocent reply.

He seemed ready to make another snarky comment, but Redmond interrupted him.

“Cheslock, Carter!” He cried while kneeling next to us. “Are you two alright?!”

“How in the world did this happen?!” Greenhill demanded rhetorically.

Before any more questions were asked, Sebastian entered the scene and told the students to clear the way. “I will take Cheslock to the infirmary. Everybody please stay away from the piano. The ground is littered with shattered glass, after all.” As he left while carefully guiding Cheslock with him, I saw the glance he shot towards me, to which I responded with an appreciative smile.

I suppose you would all like to know what just happened. Well, all right. I shall satisfy a bit of your curiosity, if you haven’t already put it together yourself.

It was during the night before when I got up to use the restroom that I heard some shuffling and a faint thud in the dining hall. When I peeked inside, I saw the curtains of a window settling back into place. Upon further investigation, I saw that a little wire-trip mechanism had been prepared in order to cut one of the chords that suspended the lights from the ceiling.

I didn’t tell Sebastian all the details about this little scheme, but enough so that he would know when to turn off the lights as he did just now. The piano had been placed directly underneath the tampered light in such a way that the small chandelier would fall on the keyboard portion of the piano. I had him turn the lights off so I could manipulate the trajectory of the chandelier to fall on the seat instead in order to simplify the process of removing Cheslock from it.

“Your reflexes are impressive, Carter. We could use you in the Green House.” Greenhill praised as he helped me onto my feet.

“I am in no position to receive such compliments. Cheslock was still injured, after all.” I answered humbly.

“Ah, but with such grace of a true gentleman, you prevented him from sustaining many more injuries than what he received.” Redmond added with a warm smile of his own.

“His injury is still quite severe. Perhaps we should be wishing for his well-being instead, yes?” I pointed out as a smile played on my lips. Finally, I gestured towards the mess of a chandelier that had been shattered across the ground. “We’d best clean this up as soon as possible, as well.”

* * *

“Hm. To think that you would receive the invitation as well.” Ciel muttered as we approached the gazebo. “It would be best if we could avoid getting ourselves associated with each other from now on. We already stand out enough as it is.”

“I will be sure to keep that in mind.” I answered with a smile, though that was mostly because I knew what was going to happen and was already amused by how Ciel would react afterwards.

After a few more moments of silence, we arrived at the Swan Gazebo to the faces of incredibly irritated and disappointed students. As expected, Clayton began his scolding almost immediately.

“How could you be two hours late!” He exclaimed more than he asked. I widened my eyes and tensed little to match the expression of disbelief that Ciel had.

“I-I was told it was at four…” The young boy stammered while looking up with a widened eye. In turn, Maurice turned around and feigned innocence.

“Eh? I said it right. 2pm!”

I glanced over to Ciel and saw that he was gritting his teeth in irritation. He then gave me a look that asked if I already knew of this but of course, I said nothing. He had yet to be scolded by his cousin, after all.

“It’s disgraceful to lie now, Ciel!” Edward scolded while looming over the poor boy. He made sure to give me a harsh glare as well, but kept his attention on the small boy. “I was an idiot for trusting you…You disappointed me and the seniors! Get out!”

The amused and sinister air Maurice had about him stood out like a sore thumb. It made me internally shake my head to myself that the prefects couldn’t see it themselves, but that would be resolved in due time.

* * *

“Shit, he tricked me!” Ciel shouted once we were safely inside Professor Michaelis’ office. As he continued to express his anger and distaste like he was meant to, I leaned back against the bureau in the room and closed my eyes in thought. Now would be a good time to refresh my memory about the next chain of events.

Ciel would begin his plan to watch Maurice’s movements during the day. He would learn that four other students, one of them specifically being Joanne Harcourt and the reason why I couldn’t take that surname, had been tricked by Maurice in a similar way. He would then have to resort to getting Prince Soma into the Red House so that Maurice could be watched in there as well. They would learn about the flower-shaped cards, which would then be followed by Sebastian finding the pieces and putting them back together. Finally, Ciel would lure Maurice into a trap and reveal all of his secrets to the prefects.

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you, Alaine!” Ciel accused, still as grumpy as ever.

“But of course. Being tricked was a very important part of your story, however, so I couldn’t simply let you avoid it. Plus, I believe the young master should learn some humility every so often.” I added politely, which was well received by the amused demon.

Of course, Ciel only huffed and slumped back into his seat ever so slightly. “Then I supposed I can safely assume that you’ll be enjoying yourself as we inevitably to whatever it is that we are meant to do.”

To this, I responded with a curious expression and a shrug. “Actually, I’m not quite sure about that. It should be all right if I simply gave you all the answers now. It would help speed up the process by at least a day, perhaps even two.” I murmured while gently holding my chin in thought. I let a brief moment of silence pass before nodding to myself and looking towards the child and the demon. “Yes, it would be profitable in the long run. I can’t afford to waste much more time on all of this.”

As they listened carefully, I told them about the series of events that I had recalled just moments before. However, I did advise that Sebastian should still confronts the students who were tricked by Maurice, as it would be beneficial towards them emotionally, and seemed to be one of the more significant parts of the montage that I witnessed. On top of that, I insisted that they still bring Soma to the college, since he plays a significant role and it would help keep the world stable.

“When the time comes, I will supply you with the pieces of the cards. They will still need to be put together, but I’m sure that is still better than having to search through the trash as well.”

“Yes, that would be much appreciated.” Sebastian thanked with a thin smile. “Would this be an appropriate time to ask for further elaboration regarding the incident in the dining hall this morning?”

“I heard about that as well. I get the feeling you know something.” Ciel added while narrowing his eye at me.

I responded with a faint laugh and an innocent smile. “I know everything there is to know, Ciel.” I spoke with a slight hint of smugness. His response was an adorably irritated glare. “There is no need to worry yourselves. I assure you that it will not cause any negative effects, but it is something I will keep to myself for now.”

In the end, the process of revealing Maurice’s secret has been shortened by a day. Ciel would alert Prince Soma tonight while Sebastian would speak to the students tomorrow. Soma would arrive tomorrow and figure out Maurice’s secrets that night and would share them with Maurice the next morning. When I had been sharing information with them earlier, the only part I left out was the truth behind Maurice and his methods, but I assured them that once Soma told them what he had learned, I would tell them their solution so that they would not have to wait another day. This, of course, is for my benefit as well.

Everything is starting to come together quite nicely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading ~


	8. Sequence Eight

That night, I left it up to Ciel and Sebastian to deal with contacting Soma while I returned to the Purple House to deal with my own business. I started by making my way to the dining hall. The mess had been long since cleaned up and the chandelier had already been replaced, but I was certain that I would still be able to find what it was I needed to help build my case. 

Upon entering the dining hall, I looked up at the chandelier that had been replaced and looked past it towards the bookshelves up on the balcony that lined the room on three sides. Silently, I walked up the winding staircase and began to search for what I needed.

It only took a few minutes for me to find everything before I was on my way back to my dorm. It was getting late and there was much to do tomorrow, so getting enough rest was important.

No, what I was looking for and what I found will not be revealed just yet.

After word spread about Ciel and me essentially rejecting the invitation from the prefects, I’ve been receiving many dirty stares and heard many murmurs and whispers about me. My reputation was certainly damaged, but I don’t need to tell you that it will be restored within due time. It still doesn’t change the fact that I need to put up with all this nonsense right now, however.

Most of the students were already in bed but as usual, a few were still lingering about. Notably, Cheslock was one of them. He had his arm wrapped and supported by a sling, though I was sure it was just to be safe. I’m quite certain that none of his bones were cracked, let alone broken.

Still, as minor as his injury appeared to be, he seemed to be having some trouble getting into his nightgown and getting into bed. Without a sound, I gently took his arm and supported it as I slipped it out of the sling and into his sleeve.

“Keep your hands off me, Carter!” He hissed immediately while pulling back, though I could tell he immediately regretted it due to his wincing from the pain. “I don’t even want to see your face right now.”

“While I’m sure you are still very upset about my disgrace regarding the Swan Gazebo, your injured arm is still my responsibility. It was my carelessness that caused you to get injured, after all.” I replied smoothly while delicately guiding his arm into his sleeve. Once it was pulled through, I set his arm back in the sling.

He seemed just about ready to hit me upright the head, but paused with his hand curled in a fist by his side. “Tch…I’ll admit that I have a debt to pay, but this has nothing to do with it!”

“At least let me help you get prepared for bed, and consider your debt repaid. Perhaps it _is_ a selfish request on my part, after all.” I murmured with a smile that asked for forgiveness. Although he was still irritated and glaring, Cheslock seemed to accept these terms.

Without any more words exchanged, he let me change the bandages around his forearm before I helped him lie down in bed. The few other students who were awake had been murmuring amongst themselves the entire time, but whatever nonsense they were gossiping about was none of my concern.

“Rest well, Cheslock.” I spoke in a hushed tone while pulling his blanket up to his shoulders in one motion.

“Get away from me,” was his harsh and muffled response. 

There was a pulse in my chest, and I immediately recognized it as the one that helps me locate the key.

* * *

 

The next morning started off as expected. Soma arrived on his elephant and tormented Ciel while causing a scene, Sebastian acted although nothing was happening, and I stood in the sidelines to watch everything progress rather smoothly.

What made me uncomfortable was the occasional rift in space or the disappearance of inanimate objects, such as a pencil or a flower. I reminded myself that time was running low and that the changes in this world would occur more quickly and become far more drastic if I took too long. I remember the last time I barely made it in time. The people of that world became mutated. Some had extra eyes or ears while others had extra limbs or none at all. The part that always got to me the most was most was how nobody else would acknowledge these changes except for the main characters of the world and myself.

Sometimes being the one responsible for fixing all these worlds wasn’t all fun and games but alas, I suppose that’s just how things are.

After a day of hostility, I dropped my books off in my room before heading off to do some of my own investigating. While Ciel and Sebastian were busy with their tasks, I took the liberty of making things go faster by locating the phonographs and art room that would be used for the plan.

When I saw the small sign that read “3rd Art Room,” I made sure I wasn’t being tailed before pushing the door open. A little to my surprise, I entered the art room to see Violet inside. A part of me simply wanted to leave, but he already knew I was there, so I stayed put. Plus, his presence was awfully convenient.

“Good afternoon, Violet.” I greeted with a smile. Silently, I closed the door behind me and began to walk along the sides of the room.

“Likewise, Carter.” The prefect answered dully before returning to his painting. “I was not aware you were interested in visual arts.”

That was true, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t pretend to be for the sake of conversation. “I admit that after yesterday’s incident, I haven’t been particularly eager to practice.” That was a lie, of course. His response was a single nod.

Silence filled the room, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. As I made my round, I stayed close to the parameters of the room, but made sure not to go behind Violet. I didn’t want him to feel intimidated, after all, though I’m not sure if he can be in the first place.

Eventually, I finished inspecting the room and returned to the entrance. “I believe I have over-stayed my visit. I shouldn’t be presenting myself before you after being such an insult, after all.” I stated with an airy laugh. “I wish you a nice day, Violet.”

With that, I made my way towards the door. My business here was done, anyway.

“Carter.”

I didn’t expect him to call out to me, but I stopped and turned around nevertheless.

He didn’t seem very interested in my presence, nor did he seem to want to say anything in particular, especially when he began to speak. “You negligence for time doesn’t change the fact that you saved Cheslock, and I must thank you for that.”

For a moment, I let my eyes trail on the hooded male for a moment before smiling and giving him a small nod. “I believe I should be the one thanking you for your kindness. Well then, if you’ll excuse me.”

I didn’t mean to be stunned, but I must say, feeling that pulse once more was unexpected.

* * *

 

Once again, I was in Professor Michaelis’ office. Ciel was sitting in the seat while Sebastian had returned to his role as Ciel’s butler while I faced the bureau. I had my eyes closed and focused on locating the pieces. One by one, as if picking them out of the air, they would appear between my fingers before I let them fall onto the bureau with small taps.

“That Maurice Cole certainly is a pain.” The young boy muttered, clearly irritated by the mere mention of the fag’s name.

“Hush, now. It would be a shame if I were to accidentally relocate your eyes.” I murmured back with a faint smile. With a few more picks and flicks at the air, all the pieces had fallen onto the bureau and I opened my eyes. “My apologies, Sebastian. I will have to leave the rest to you.”

As the demon gave a curt nod and seated himself at the bureau, I made my way over to Ciel and propped my arm onto the back of the armchair he sat in.

“What do you want, Alaine?” He glowered, though his voice was more tired than it was irritated.

“Oh, don’t give me that kind of look.” I responded with a smile before resting my chin on the armchair as well. “I wished to inform you that time is growing thin. Surely you will be seeing some differences in the world around you tomorrow. When you do, think nothing of it. The others won’t be able to see what you see. This goes for you as well, Sebastian.”

Ciel glanced up at me before sighing to himself and nodded. “I suppose it was kind of you to warn us.” He admitted while sipping his tea. “Would you care to tell us about those, as well?”

He was now gesturing to the other items that I had placed on the bureau.

“I think you could afford to wait a little.”

Ah, and there was his glowering once again.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading ~


	9. Sequence Nine

The sky had a very large crack that split the sun. It caused a large shadow to be cast over the campus, as if a peculiarly shaped cloud remained unmoved by the wind. Behind the crack was darkness, or more specifically, Nothing. It is the space that is found between the worlds, as well as the space that He summons me to whenever he has a task for me. This large obstruction meant bad news to the state of the world but on the bright side, my dimensional powers were much stronger now.

“What is the meaning of this, Carter?” Clayton demanded as he approached me. “First you disappoint us all, and now you defile the Swan Gazebo?!”

“Please be patient with me. You will understand the purpose of all this quite shortly.” I responded with a smile as I stepped down from the gazebo.

Behind me, all the phonograph bells were tied to the gazebo, each with a string connected to it that led to the art room Ciel was in. With a slight extension of my hand, I smiled at Redmond and gestured toward the seat in the middle of the ring of phonographs.

“I insist that you take a seat, Redmond. The show is about to begin.”

“Do you think this is a game?” He retorted calmly, though his gaze towards me was much darker than his usual gentle eyes. “As a prefect, I demand that you take this down at once!”

Before anybody else could speak, however, a voice sounded from the phonographs.

“So, what do you want?”

It was without a doubt Maurice’s voice that was coming from the bells, and this without a doubt startled those before me. I held a finger up to my lips to tell them not to make a sound. Once again, I met eyes with Redmond and gestured towards the seat. This time, he complied.

From there on, things progressed smoothly. At a steady pace, Ciel made his accusations one by one as everybody listened. When the cards were mentioned, I pulled one out of my jacket and handed it to Redmond silently. There was no visible attempt to hide the shock and betrayal in his eyes when he read the request that was printed on the card.

A few more words were exchanged until finally, things got interesting.

“The fuck. No way I will!” The angered voice of Maurice Cole rang from the bells. At this point, I gave the others a look that silently asked what they would do now.

The doors being thrown open could be heard and within seconds, more disgraceful words could be heard coming from Maurice. The sound of cloth being torn was followed by a gasp and a cough, which had been partially muted by Ciel being kicked in the chest.

Greenhill and Edward had already sprinted off to Ciel’s aid, with Violet and Bluer following close behind. I leaned against one of the posts of the Swan Gazebo and looked over towards Redmond. His expression was sullen and neutral, but his eyes told me otherwise. He was awfully good at keeping his cool, though I suppose that’s to be expected of such a young gentleman.

Only moments later did we hear the door being kicked open, signaling Greenhill and Edward’s entrances. Finally, once Ciel had been saved and Maurice was beyond shock, everything was revealed to him.

“After hearing that the skilled and brilliant Maurice Cole was about to commit an act of violence…anyone would come running.” Edward stated, giving me the cue that I wanted.

“To fail twice at the same thing, I suppose you can’t be skilled at _everything_.” I commented with a smile in my voice as I stepped onto the gazebo. “Perhaps violence just isn’t suited for your seemingly-pure hands.”

Maurice’s panicked response was immediate and I must say, it was incredibly amusing to hear. “W-What do you mean?! Where is your voice coming from?!”

With an eerie innocent tone in his voice, Ciel revealed the strings that were attached to the backs of each painting. I couldn’t help but smile to myself, though I made sure to keep it hidden since I had to look lawful, not sinister.

“You’ve committed far more wrong than just deceiving, Maurice.” I started again while gesturing towards Redmond to stand. “As I mentioned before, this isn’t your first act of violence. Since you seem highly incapable of telling the truth, I will take upon my shoulders to explain it all in your place.”

He began to shout back through the phonographs immediately after, but I tugged at a string and after the sound of all the strings snapping, the noise ceased. I had recreated the similar trick that was used to cut the chandelier.

Once again, I turned to Redmond and the remaining fags with a look of concern. “If you would all be so kind as to follow me, I would like to show you something of great importance.”

I saw that the others had already relocated to the Purple House’s dining hall by the time we arrived. Maurice was being held by Edward and glared at me the moment I walked in.

“W-What is the meaning of this?!”

“I highly doubt you’re in any position to be making demands,” I started calmly while making my way towards the piano, “especially since I’m about to reveal a rather astonishing truth.”

The prefects and their fags turned their attention towards me, and I could see that Ciel was curious as well. I never told him anything regarding this part of the plan, after all.

 “I’m sure you all remember the chandelier incident from the other day.” I reminded them, now making my way to the table where the prefects were seated. “If you don’t mind, please take the same seats as you did that morning.”

As the prefects each sat in a chair, I began to make my way up to a bookshelf that was on the balcony. I rested my hand on one of the books as I glanced down at them with a smile. “Now…observe.”

With a tug, I pulled out the book and immediately afterwards, something whizzed through the air. Before anybody had time to blink, there was a snap and the chandelier fell three or four feet before coming to an abrupt stop. While the jingling of the glass and the swinging of the chandelier gradually stopped, I returned to the first floor to many stunned expressions.

“This isn’t the time for games, Carter!” Greenhill shouted, though I gestured for him to settle down.

“I was simply revealing that the accident was no accident at all. The chandelier falling was quite intentional, and it was prepared by none other than you, Maurice Cole.” As I sad his name, I turned to face him with disdain in my voice but amusement in my eyes. “Allow me to explain.”

“The night before the incident, I heard some strange noises coming from the dining hall. At first I thought it was the wind, but now I know that it was Cole’s entourage sneaking inside in order to set up the trap. A simple yet very precise trip wire system was installed, and the starting point would be the book.”

As I spoke, I revealed the book that I had removed from the bookshelf and pointed at the top of its spine.

“An invisible wire was attached to the back of this book and once pulled, it would cause a small bade, perhaps a sculpting blade taken from one of the art rooms, to be launched down at the wire that suspends the chandelier. For the sake of my demonstration, I only cut the wire that I attached myself.”

Using a pulley system and hiding the original sagging wire accomplished that. After my demonstration, the chandelier was returned to its normal distance from the ground, but I didn’t bother explaining all of this to them. These details weren’t the ones that mattered, after all.

“Now, the proof.” As I spoke, I pulled out another book from my jacket. “This is the original book that was used for the trick, with the string attached as the spine as it should be. It’s a little tarnished now, as the cards were not the only things you dispose of, Cole. I spent much time trying to locate this as well.” I added with a bit of an exhausted shake of the head. I returned to my disdained look soon enough as I continued. “However, this does not prove that there was, in fact, a blade.”

I now walked over to Violet and after excusing myself, lifted the slack of his robe to reveal two cuts hidden in the creases of his hood and his shoulder. “Please observe the direction of these small tears in relation to the chandelier and the bookshelf.”

Eyes trailed the invisible path in the sky until Bluer made the connection.

“So the blade sliced Violet’s robe as well.” He deduced with a slight narrow of his eyes. “However, it could be a very convenient coincidence. Do you have the blade, Carter?”

“I never come unprepared.” I answered and revealed the small blade as if it appeared from thing air, though technically it really did. I had used my powers to materialize it that time. “ This blade was, in fact, tucked within the pages of the books. There is still a visible imprint of it in the pages.”

I flipped the book open and matched the blade to the imprint that it left. I then gestured towards the tears on Violet’s robe once more. “The first slice was created from the first incident, and the second was created just now by the demonstration. I noticed the first tear when I accidentally encountered Violet in the 3rd art room yesterday.”

Of course, I apologized to the prefect for ruining his robe and offered to fix it myself later on.

“Now, the final piece is how I know Cole is responsible for all of this.” My voice was calm as I made my way over to the prefects’ table. “Perhaps you, Redmond, will remember Cole excusing himself to look through the books. This, of course, is when he left to move the book. However, what he never learned was the last-minute change in schedule that was made.”

“Oh, that’s right. Cheslock ended up playing instead of Carter.” Edward voiced, and the small sparks of realizations began to go off.

I gave them a slight nod before continuing. “I remember quite clearly that when you came to see what had happened, Cole, you immediately asked if I was alright.” He saw where I was going with this and gritted his teeth. “Now, why would you immediately ask about my state if Cheslock was the one who was nearly crushed by the chandelier? Normally you would ask if the victim is all right, or at least ask if both persons were all right. Isn’t that right?”

His expression was priceless and I have to refrain from smiling victoriously.

“The end result of all this was intended to harm me.” I finalized while giving Maurice a condescending look “I hope you realize, Cole, that if I hadn’t pulled Cheslock out of the way, he would have suffered much more than a mere scratch on is arm. The chandelier had fallen almost directly onto the seat. A second later and he would have been crushed!”

The expression Maurice wore was one of a deer caught in headlights. His eyes were wide and his body trembled. Finally, Redmond broke the silence.

“I’m ashamed of my inability to judge people.” His voice was sullen and the darkened look in his eyes made it hard to believe they were usually quite gentle. “You disappointed me, Cole. I cancel our brotherly relationship!”

Maurice immediately collapsed onto the ground and let out a strangled wail. As he sobbed, Ciel approached him carefully and knelt before him. Once again, the gentle, innocent smiled played on his lips.

“Cole. If you start behaving honestly, I’m sure that you’ll be able to regain everyone’s trust.” He spoke gently while holding out a handkerchief to the boy. “So I thought…I’d start by showing everybody your real face.”

As he revealed the photo hidden within the cloth, I glanced towards the window and saw the hundreds of photos that rained down to the puzzled students outside.

“Ciel…Carter.” Edward spoke, catching out attentions. The moment he was a couple of feet away from us, he bowed deeply as expected. “I’m sorry for blaming you unjustly! Please forgive me!”

“No matter the reason, we were still late.” Ciel responded with a meek smile and a have of his hands.

“Indeed. There’s no need for you to apologize, Midford.” I added with a similar expression. Admittedly, I felt a little uncomfortable having somebody bow to me. It just isn’t something that happens on such a personal level in Reality, after all.

Once by one, the prefects and fags approached us with their own share of words. With each sentence, I felt the pulse course through my body. With each word after that, the sensation grew stronger and more prominent.

“You follow tradition, you don’t lie, and you are pure and noble.” Greenhill spoke, directing his words to both Ciel and I. “The two of you are model students of this school.”

“I am truly convinced that there is no false judgment this time.” Redmond stated with a warm smile. He approached the two of us and gently placed a hand on each of our shoulders. “You both have my complete and absolute trust from now on.”

His words were immediately followed by a bright glow that appeared from his chest, but I would only be visible to Ciel and I. For now, at least.

My knees buckled and I immediately slammed my hand on the table in order to keep my balance. The pulses and ripples became stronger and much more violent. I could hear voices around me, but they sounded although they were miles away. Somebody grabbed me by the shoulder and I could fell myself being lifted. Finally, I regained my composure and looked up to see the others giving me incredibly concerned looks.

“Are you alright?!” Clayton immediately asked. As it turns out, he was the one who had been supporting me. “Can you stand, Carter?”

“Yes, I’m more than all right. Thank you.” I responded before turning to the prefects. “Everybody, please brace yourselves. This world is about to collapse.”

I received a number of puzzled expressions and one of extreme confusion and shock from Ciel, but the ground had already started to shake before anybody could say a word.

“What is the meaning of this, Carter?!” Ciel demanded while holding onto the table next to us. “That glow just now was the Key, wasn’t it?”

“But of course. What else could it had been?” I answered with a smile as I stood calmly amidst all the growing chaos. “I can now safely restore this breaking world of yours.”

The young Earl stumbled momentarily before glaring back up me once more. “Then get to it already!”

As the trembling became more violent, I held out my hands and watched as the small glowing orb floated into my palms. It felt although I was holding a ball of sunlight. The nature of the Key tends to affect its appearance, so I suppose the warm feelings that come with trust were in play here.

With feigned innocence, I tilted my head just slightly as I looked back at Ciel with a smile.

“Oh, did I forget to mention?” I asked rhetorically as I regained my original appearance.

Cracks began to split the air around us and the ceiling began to crumble. I gave no response to the confused and horrified reactions of the students in the room. It didn’t take much longer for Sebastian to enter the dining hall as well to take his master into his arms.

I closed my hands and watched as the light condensed in my fists. A large crack split the room in two and Nothingness began to appear all around us.

“In order to restore the worlds, I must first let them collapse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :D


	10. Sequence Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story comes to an end(?).

The trembling only worsened by the second but while the others desperately clung to the collapsing furniture of the dining hall for support, I stood calmly in the midst of it all. I’ll admit that I could have ease the shaking long ago, but seeing these usually stoic characters with such large eyes full of fear was too amusing to get rid of so quickly.

 

I decided it was time to get to work when the ceiling split in two.

 

“S-S-Somebody s-save m-m-me!” Maurice sobbed while clinging onto a table for dear life.

 

“W-We need to get out of here i-immediately!” Greenhill shouted and tried to make his way towards the windows. I immediately grabbed his arm and in turn, he tried to shake me off. “What are you doing, Carter?! Let me go! We need to escape through the windows!”

 

“I promise you that the last place you want to be is outside.” I answered calmly before shoving him back. I looked over my shoulder to see that the field outside was breaking apart. Bits and pieces of it were floating into the air and pieces of the sky fell to the ground like shards. Behind the cracks of the sky was complete darkness, where there was Nothing.

 

With the Key in hand, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I could feel several rapid pulses from many directions. Those were the heartbeats of everybody in the room. That wasn’t what I was looking for. What I needed was the core of this world.

 

I opened my eyes once more and quickly made my way over to Ciel.

 

“Please excuse me, but I need to borrow your heart for a moment.”

 

“W-What?!”

 

Without another second wasted, I slammed the hand holding the Key into his chest and watched as my hand went through. The young boy immediately fell limp in my arms. Sebastian was giving me quite the frightening glare at this point.

 

“C-Carter, what have you done?! What are you doing?!” Edward was shouting as he rushed.

 

I scoffed and closed my eyes. “Calm down, he isn’t dead.” I answered while feeling Ciel’s heartbeat resonate through my body. “Every world is full of pulses, each one identifying a particular object. Every world has a core and that too, has a pulse. I’m just using Ciel’s heartbeat as a guide to find the pulse of the core and once I find it, it’ll only be a matter of time before I fix this broken world.”

 

“You’d best hurry up with that. I don’t think this building will be able to sustain any more damage.” Sebastian answered with a sigh.

 

“Everybody move; the ceiling is falling!”

 

 I didn’t even need to open my eyes to know that Sebastian had gone and moved everybody out of the way. I heard the pieces of the ceiling fall to the ground behind me but I paid no mind to it. Although I thought by now that by staying still, it implied that I wasn’t in danger, that didn’t seem to stop Sebastian from pulling me aside as well. Then again, he was probably only concerned about Ciel’s safety.

 

“That was kind of you, but please don’t touch me again.” I murmured, my brows now furrowed as I searched for the core’s pulse. “There are over a trillion different pulses in this world and having yours mixing in with Ciel’s makes searching for the core that much harder.”

 

“W-What’s happening now?!”

 

I opened one eye and looked around the partially obliterated room. The ceiling had a gaping hole right in the middle and directly above us was a large scar in the sky.

 

“It would have been appreciated if you gave us some details regarding the restoration progress in advance.” I heard Sebastian sigh a couple of feet away from me.

 

“You hardly believed my story of having to find the Key. I highly doubt you would appreciate knowing that your world would be in the brink of destruction before I can fix it.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

Frustrated, I removed my glowing hand from Ciel’s chest and laid him down on his back. This was going nowhere. His pulse wasn’t strong enough to help me locate the core.

 

I looked over to Sebastian and while answering his question, made my way towards him. “That’s just how it is. Simply put, my job is to mend the scars in your world, but the reality is that I need to tear it apart and rebuild it from scratch.” I flexed my glowing hand a few times before giving an empty smile to the demon. “Ciel’s pulse won’t do, so if you’ll excuse me.”

 

Without warning, I pressed my hand into the demon’s chest and carefully set him down as he lost consciousness. In the meantime, Ciel had woken up and was immediately taken aback from the state of the dining hall.

 

“How did this happen? I thought you were supposed to be fixing this world.” He demanded and gave me a look of disbelief. It was only then when he noticed that Sebastian was resting on the ground with my glowing hand placed in his chest. “What did you do to him?!”

 

“The same thing I did to you. Be quiet and let me focus.” I muttered in an impatient tone. I didn’t want to have to explain every little thing to them but my, were their questions annoying.

 

I sighed deeply and felt the pulses coursing through my body. Although Ciel is regarded as the center of this world, his pulse wasn’t strong enough to help me locate the core. This was probably a direct correlation with his size and his actual strength. At least I got a vague idea of what I’m looking for through his heartbeat.

 

Sebastian’s pulse, on the other hand, was much stronger, of course. I had my eyes closed as I searched, but snapped them open the moment I found a lead. The glowing around my hand grew brighter and stretched up to engulf the room.

 

The trembling stopped, and so did the panicking. The light faded and returned to the Key, whose glow and warmth gradually faded as well. In its place was an actual metal key, one with intricate carvings and a small red gem in the middle of the bow.

 

The prefects and their fags were now gone. Without a word, I grabbed Ciel and shoved him towards Sebastian. “Make sure he sees and hears absolutely nothing.” I ordered the demon without giving them a second glance.

 

“What are you—?!” Ciel started, but I gave Sebastian an urgent look at the young boy had his eyes and ears covered an instant.

 

Once everything was ready, I looked up into the seemingly endless darkness.  After a few moments of absolutely silence, lights began to shine through the Darkness. One by one, these small specs of light expanded and turned into small images. Once the images materialize, they began to play like movie clips.

 

Sebastian quickly realized what these were and gave me a questioning look.

 

“This space is this world’s core, in the space that is known as the Darkness.” I started while approaching one of the clips.

 

The Darkness is not to be mistaken with the Nothingness. The Darkness is more like a room where the core is stored, whereas the Nothingness is the median began the worlds. The most significant difference between the two is that space and time aren’t nearly as distorted in the Darkness as they are in the Nothingness.

 

I pressed my hand against one of the clips and began to drag it along with me as I walked towards the center of the Darkness. “The core is what keeps the world together and sorts through the fragments of the world to keep its flow. Of course, you’d recognize these clips as your life thus far with the young Ciel Phantomhive up until now.”

 

Soon, the clips began to produce sounds. It was then when the screaming and tortures cries began. I eyed the image of Ciel being branded float in front of me and across the Darkness. I looked back at Sebastian, who now seemed to understand why I told him to prevent Ciel from seeing or hearing.

 

“I’ll remind you that everything I do is for a reason. Oh, a do be careful; the core will start bringing out your true form in just a few moments.” I added before reaching out to one of the images.

 

Surely enough, as I began to arrange them in a linear fashion, Sebastian’s human appearance was gradually replaced with that of a gruesome demon.

 

This, of course, did not go unnoticed by Ciel. “S…Sebastian, what’s happening?!”

 

With a swipe several of the noisy panels, a brief moment of silence overcame the Darkness. I gestured for Sebastian to release the young boy for a moment.

 

“Stay put for now. I’m currently in the process of restoring your world. It should take no longer than a few minutes at this point.” I explained and once again, the noise returned.

 

When the panels depicting Ciel’s tragic past were sorted out and layered in the correct fashion, Sebastian released the young boy, though I noticed that he made sure Ciel didn’t turn around. I thought he would be capable of seeing the demon’s true form, though I suppose it’s best to keep it safe.

 

Panel by panel, fragment by fragment, I pulled them together and sorted through them as quickly as I could. My powers enabled me to register images a lot more quickly than a human, but it was still a tedious job but of course, it was the most important.

 

Soon, panels of the circus and the baron flew by, then the murder mystery in the mansion, which were in turn followed by the events on the cruise ship. I let myself linger a litter while longer on the panel that showed Elizabeth showing her swordplay and smiled.

 

“You have a stunning fiancé, Ciel.” I murmured before continuing with my task. “You’d best take care of her like she did to you.”

 

I smiled to myself from his annoyed mutters and glare.

 

After a couple of more minutes, panels depicting the beginning of the Weston College began to appear. I stopped for a moment and turned my attention to the two others in the Darkness with me.

 

“From this point on, the two of you will gradually begin to disappear while I return you to the proper time in your world. With the Key, I will then lock the panels and thus, lock your world. This, of course, will mean that your world has been recovered, rebuilt, and stabilized. Ah, how unfortunate it is to be nothing but a forgotten hero.”

 

“What if we don’t forget?” Ciel asked curiously.

 

I tapped my chin as if I were in thought for a moment before smiling innocently. “Well, let’s just say it’s best that it doesn’t come to that.”

 

Having the characters remember anything about the reestablishment of their world is one of the worst things that could possibly happen. It’s never happened to any of the worlds I’ve handled, but I’ve heard stories of this happening before, and very, very rarely do I ever hear of those worlds being restored successfully ever again.

 

“Well then, back to work.” I mused, and the sorting was resumed.

 

With each panel that was stuck in place, the more Ciel and Sebastian seemed to disintegrate. The specs of their bodies gathered around the panels that I had collected and sorted. I reminded them not to be alarmed, and that this was exactly what was supposed to happen.

 

Within due time, they were just faint silhouettes of themselves. Before placing the last couple of panels, I faced them once more.

 

“It was a pleasure to make your acquaintances, but let us never meet again, for that would mean that something had gone terribly wrong.” I spoke with a smile and with two swift motions of my hands, set the final panels into place.

 

Although very faint, the last thing I saw was Ciel’s speechless expression and Sebastian’s intrigued gaze.

 

The last particles of the two characters faded into the glow that the completed sequence and finally, the light of the panels filled the Darkness and lit up the room to almost a blinding extent. The panels themselves condensed into a black keyhole that seemed to float in the middle of the Darkness, which is no longer dark but is still referred to as such.

 

I don’t give the names, so please don’t confront me about its accuracy.

 

“Another world restored…” I started while inserting the Key, “ …Another thankless job well done.”

 

With a faint click, this world was stabilized once again.

 

Well, that’s how it was supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few chapters of the sequel uploaded on ff.net right now but I'm not really working on it so I might not start uploading it here right away. Should it happen that you're like that one person who actually wants to read more, you can find me as Your Idiot Writer on ff.net = u=b

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading ~


End file.
